Fire Prevention Bureau

The Fire Prevention Bureau of Bullhead City Fire Department is headed by Division Chief / Fire Marshal Jim Dykens.
Two Fire Inspectors, John Jones and Brett Guinan, handle permits and physical property inspections.  John Jones is also
the Fire Investigator who determines the cause at a fire scene.  Public Educators Barbie Barrett and Kim Miles, Fire Prevention
Secretary Kathy Briske, and part-time employee Cheryl Stephenson complete the staff of the Fire Prevention Bureau. 

Fire Inspection Record Keeping

The goal of our Fire Prevention Bureau is to promote fire and life safety through inspections and education. There are over 1,300
commercial businesses in our community.  We have the responsibility of inspecting these so that we may eradicate possible fire hazards. 

Information on each business is entered into our FireHouse Occupancy/Inspection data base.  This includes the location of the business; 
type of building;  fire alarm and fire sprinkler system information; and a history of all fire inspections.  Each business is inspected at least
once per year.  We assist each owner/manager to bring their business up to compliance with the fire code.

Small businesses with low hazards may be set up for our Self Inspection Program.  A self inspection form is mailed to the business. 
This form is a simple check list.  The owner/manager is given 30 days to inspect their business and to correct any fire and life safety
hazards.  When the inspection form is mailed back to us, the information is entered into our FireHouse program.  They then
receive a certificate showing their annual inspection has been successfully completed.

Incident Reports (NFIRS)

An incident report is completed in our FireHouse Program for each fire call (i.e. structure, vehicle, and brush fires;  hazardous materials
calls;  gas leaks;  fire alarm malfunctions, public assist calls).  This information is exported to the National Fire Incident Reporting
System (NFIRS) at the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) monthly.  This allows them to compile statistics each year;
 and can assist us in obtaining grant money for needed programs, equipment, etc.  

These incident reports are also requested by property owners for insurance and tax purposes.  They are also given to law
enforcement agencies, the County Assessor’s Office, the City Building Department, etc. 

Burn Permits

The Bullhead City Fire Department has eliminated all open burning within the fire district except for single owners of properties greater
than 5 acres, fire department training fires, cooking fires, and special events that have been approved by the Fire Marshal.  Burn
permits are required for approved fires and are subject to the permit fee schedule.  The permit fee schedule may be found online
under permits.  An application for a burn permit is required.  Specific rules will be addressed when the application has been submitted.

LPG (Liquid PropaneTank) Permits

Permits are required prior to the installation of Liquid Propane Tanks (LPG).  Permits can be picked up at Fire Station 2, 1230 Hwy 95. 
A permit fee is required.  The fee schedule may be found on-line under permits.  A simple check list shall be completed, and a sketch of
the tank’s location shall be drawn by the property owner.  After the permit is approved and the tank is installed, the fire department shall
be contacted for an on-site inspection.

Fire Sprinkler/Alarm System Permits

Fire sprinkler and fire alarm system plans shall be submitted to the Bullhead City Fire Department at 1230 Highway 95, for approval. 
An application and permit fee is required.  The fee schedule may be found on-line under permits.  You may also call for clarification of
the fee schedule at (928) 754-2001.

Business Licenses

Business licenses may be obtained from the Bullhead City Finance Department, at 1255 Marina Blvd.  The Finance Department
forwards them to the Fire Marshal for his review and approval.  The business information is then entered into our FireHouse
Inspection Program.

Budget 

Each year the fire prevention bureau submits a budget proposal to the fire chief for the upcoming fiscal year.  On an average, the fire prevention bureau receives approximately 3% to 5% of the fire district’s “operating” budget.  This money is shared between public education, fire inspections, and fire investigations.  Additional monies are budgeted for support services, fire hydrant maintenance and vehicle maintenance.  All individuals involved in these areas submit a proposed budget and itemized list of needed materials to the fire marshal for review and then this list is provided to the chief.

Grant Writing

As with all fire departments, obtaining grants and donations from outside organizations and groups help support fire prevention
activities and functions.  All members of the fire prevention bureau are encouraged to search and apply for grants whenever available. 
From November 2003 to March 2004, fire prevention received $10,300 in grants and donations to financially assist with purchasing
child car seats so this program could continue in the Tri-State region.  We also apply for the FEMA Fire Prevention Grant and others.

Program Development

The Fire Prevention Bureau has numerous educational programs that are provided to the public,
schools and various organizations.  Some of these programs include clown and puppet programs, water
safety, juvenile fire setters, seniors programs, bike safety, fire safety of all types, educational programs
in the schools, etc.  All of these programs are developed by our personnel.  We are constantly revising
existing programs and gathering information and developing new programs as the need arises.

Outside Organizations

We work with and are associated with numerous agencies throughout Arizona.  Some of these agencies are: Arizona Fire Chiefs
Association (AFCA), Arizona Fire Districts Association (AFDA), Arizona Fire Marshals Association (AFMA), Arizona Fire
and Burn Educators Association (AFBEA), and the Arizona Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI). 
All of these organizations work well together to make Arizona a safer place to live and work.

Plan Reviews

As our community develops and grows, more and more buildings are under construction.  All commercial building plans are reviewed
by this office to ensure applicable fire codes are followed in the planning, construction and finalization phases.  Plans that are reviewed
by this office include; site, building, fire sprinkler, fire alarm, hood and duct suppression systems and sub-divisions.  We like to
communicate with developers prior to the plans being developed so that all information is included in the plans, which in turn provides
a faster, more efficient review.